Video Headsets with Fluid-Based Cooling Systems and Related Methods

The technology of the disclosure relates generally to thermal cooling of video headsets, including virtual reality headsets.

Video headsets provide an immersive video experience for a single user. A video headset is worn by a user to position an extended reality (XR) device, including one or more video displays in front of the user's eyes for viewing without visual interference from external sources. The video display may play selected video entertainment, such as movies and television or streamed series, but can also have the capability for interactive video games, virtual reality, or augmented reality applications. To provide such capability, electronic circuits, including at least one processor, are disposed inside the XR device to execute games and applications and control a high-resolution video display and audio speakers. A problem with packing so much processing power into the XR device of a video headset is that the video display and the electronic circuits that perform the video processing can generate a significant amount of heat. High heat may reduce the performance of the electronic circuits and make the XR device too hot to be comfortably worn by a user. Excessive heat can cause permanent damage to the hardware components (e.g., transistor circuits).

To address the issue of excessive heat generated in video headsets, passive and/or active heat dissipation devices and methods can be employed in the goggle assemblies of video headsets. As an example, heat sinks, heat pipes, and fans may be added to an XR device to remove heat generated by the electronic circuits and dissipate the heat to the environmental air around the XR device. However, because the XR device is on the face of a user, the heated air dissipated from the XR device can cause discomfort for the user, especially the user's forehead. In addition, the heat sinks and fans add weight to the XR device, further increasing user discomfort.

Aspects disclosed in the detailed description include video headsets with a fluid-based cooling system. Related methods for employing fluid to cool a video headset are also disclosed. A video headset configured to be worn on the head of a user includes an extended reality (XR) device secured in a frontal portion of a harness and adjacent to the user's eyes. A video display inside the XR device is controlled by electronic circuits that generate heat while executing software applications for displaying content on the video display. The XR device includes heat dissipation technology to dissipate heat generated by the electronic circuits to avoid high temperatures in the electronic circuits and on surfaces of the XR device in contact with skin of the user. In an exemplary aspect, a video headset includes a fluid-based cooling system comprising a closed loop conduit through which fluid moves from the XR device in the frontal portion of the harness to a thermal control mechanism in a rear portion of the harness, adjacent to the back of a user's head and then back to the XR device. In this regard, heat dissipation elements may be relocated from the XR device to the thermal control mechanism to redirect at least some of the dissipated heat to the rear portion, shift some of the noise and vibration from the frontal portion to the rear portion, and also improve the weight distribution of the video headset on the head of the user. In some examples, the fluid moves in a circular direction away from the XR device through a first fluid channel on one side of the harness, through the thermal control mechanism, and back to the XR device through a second fluid channel on the other side of the harness. In some examples, more of the heat generated in the XR device is dissipated to the air from the thermal control mechanism than from the XR device.

In this regard, in one exemplary aspect, a video headset is disclosed. The video headset includes an XR device including a housing, a video display, and electronic circuits disposed in the housing, wherein the electronic circuits are configured to control the video display. The video headset further includes a thermal control mechanism, a harness configured to be worn by a user and comprising a frontal portion and a rear portion; and a fluid-based cooling system comprising a closed loop conduit extending through the XR device, the harness, and the thermal control mechanism. The XR device is secured in the frontal portion of the harness, and the thermal control mechanism is secured in the rear portion and configured to dissipate heat transferred from the XR device through the closed loop conduit.

In another exemplary aspect, a method of cooling a video headset is disclosed. The method includes moving a fluid through a closed loop conduit. The closed loop conduit extends through an XR device comprising a video display and electronic circuits disposed in a housing, a thermal control mechanism configured to dissipate heat from the fluid, and a harness comprising a frontal portion configured to secure the XR device and a rear portion configured to secure the thermal control mechanism.

In another exemplary aspect, a method in a video headset is disclosed. The method includes generating heat in electronic circuits in an XR device comprising a video display and securing the XR device on a frontal portion of a harness, and securing a thermal control mechanism on a rear portion of the harness. The method also includes moving a fluid in a closed loop conduit through the XR device, the harness, and the thermal control mechanism and dissipating, by the thermal control mechanism, heat from the fluid to environmental air adjacent to the thermal control mechanism.

Several exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are described in reference to the drawing figures. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.

Aspects disclosed in the detailed description include video headsets with a fluid-based cooling system. Related methods for employing fluid to cool a video headset are also disclosed. A video headset configured to be worn on the head of a user includes an extended reality (XR) device secured in a frontal portion of a harness and adjacent to the user's eyes. A video display inside the XR device is controlled by electronic circuits that generate heat while executing software applications for displaying content on the video display. The XR device includes heat dissipation technology to dissipate heat generated by the electronic circuits to avoid high temperatures in the electronic circuits and on surfaces of the XR device in contact with the skin of the user. In an exemplary aspect, a video headset includes a fluid-based cooling system comprising a closed loop conduit through which fluid moves from the XR device in the frontal portion of the harness to a thermal control mechanism in a rear portion of the harness, adjacent to the back of a user's head and then back to the XR device. In this regard, heat dissipation elements may be relocated from the XR device to the thermal control mechanism to redirect at least some of the dissipated heat to the rear portion, shift some of the noise and vibration from the frontal portion to the rear portion, and also improve the weight distribution of the video headset on the head of the user. In some examples, the fluid moves in a circular direction away from the XR device through a first fluid channel on one side of the harness, through the thermal control mechanism, and back to the XR device through a second fluid channel on the other side of the harness. In some examples, more of the heat generated in the XR device is dissipated to the air from the thermal control mechanism than from the XR device.

are a side view and a top view, respectively, showing a conventional video headsetsecured in front of a head of a userby a harness. Arrowsinindicate directions in which heated air may be dissipated (e.g., actively expelled) from an XR deviceof the video headsetin response to the action of fans(or other active air-moving devices) of an air-cooling system. The fansmay be positioned inside of or in an opening into a housingof the XR deviceto promote air flow.

The XR deviceincludes electronic circuitsmounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)to control a video displaythat is positioned in front of and viewed by the user. As the electronic circuitsoperate, they generate heat that increases the temperature of the electronic circuits, the PCB, and the housing. The electronic circuitsmay include processing circuits, memory circuits, and power management circuits, for example. Although not shown here, the cooling system may include heat dissipation elements such as heat sinks, heat pipes, and thermal interface materials (TIMs) to promote the conduction of heat away from the electronic circuits. The fansare another form of heat dissipation element provided to increase air flow for convective cooling to reduce the buildup of heat in the XR device. Without the heat dissipation elements, the internally generated heat can cause temperatures of the video headsetto increase to levels at which the performance of the electronic circuitsmay be affected or permanently damaged, as well as causing significant discomfort for the user.

For example, if a junction temperature Tof the electronic circuitsexceeds a first threshold temperature (e.g., 95° C.), device performance may be impacted and there may be permanent damage to the electronic circuits. Additionally, if a surface temperature Tof the housing, which comes in contact with the user, exceeds a second temperature threshold (e.g., 45° C.), the video headsetmay be too uncomfortable for the userto wear.

In an effort to avoid higher temperatures inside the housingof the XR device, the fansforce air from the environment outside the XR device(e.g., environmental air) into the housingand onto the electronic circuits, where the air is heated as it comes into contact with the electronic circuitsand any passive components used to dissipate the heat, such as a heat sink, heat pipe, etc. Forcing air into the XR deviceraises the air pressure inside the XR device. Therefore, after the environmental air is blown onto the electronic circuitsand becomes heated, the heated air is forced out of the housingthrough other openings.

The arrowsinshow directions in which heated air may be forced out of the XR device. In this regard, all the heat dissipated from the electronic circuitsis forced out of the XR deviceand may be blown onto the face and forehead of the user, which may also cause significant discomfort to the user, detracting from the user experience.

Additionally, as the fansoperate, in addition to any noise or vibration emitted by the fans(e.g., the motors thereof), air movement through the XR devicemay also cause noise or vibration. The noise and vibration caused by the fanson the face of the usermay further detract from the experience of the userof the video headset.

Furthermore, the addition of components of the cooling system, including the fans, as well as any internal passive components (not shown), such as heat sinks or heat pipes, increases the weight of the XR deviceon the front of the head of the user. Stress on the neck of the usercaused by the additional weight may be another factor contributing to the overall discomfort of the user, detracting from the user experience. Accordingly, reducing the above sources of user discomfort would be desirable.

are a side view and a top view, respectively, showing an exemplary video headsetincluding an extended reality (XR) devicecooled by a fluid-based cooling systemincluding a thermal control mechanismsecured in a rear portionof a harness. The fluid-based cooling systemincludes a closed loop conduitthat includes fluid channelsR andL for moving a fluidfrom the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanism, and back to the XR device. The term “closed loop conduit” refers to a sealed fluid path from which no fluid escapes or enters but rather flows, in this example, in a loop including the XR device, the fluid channelR, the thermal control mechanism, the fluid channelL, and back to the XR device. The thermal control mechanismis configured to dissipate heat from the fluid. In some examples, the fluidmay be water or another appropriate substance that can be used in a liquid or gaseous state. Fluid, in an exemplary aspect, may be FLUORINERT or NOVEC sold by the 3M Company, 3M Center, Building 225-1S-23, Saint Paul, MN, 55144. Additional information about NOVEC can be found at https://www.3 m.com/3M/en_US/p/c/b/novec/ and about FLUORINERT at https://www.3 m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40045180/.

In the present disclosure, the term “XR device” may refer to an extended reality device and may also or alternatively refer to any of a virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, or mixed reality (MR) device disposed in a headset corresponding to the headsetin. In this context, the term “headset” may refer to any one of a tethered headset connected to a computer or gaming console via cable(s), a standalone headset comprising a display, processor, and battery, a mobile headset that may rely on a smartphone or other device to provide a display and processing power, an MR headset that may include a camera, AR glasses, and industrial or enterprise headsets having ruggedized designs for professional use.

In this example, the XR deviceincludes electronic circuitscoupled to each other on a PCB. The electronic circuitsmay include a processor, memory circuits, etc., that control the operation of a video display. The electronic circuitsand the video displayare disposed inside of a housingof the XR device. The electronic circuitsand the video displaymay both generate heat, causing a junction temperature Tof transistors (not shown) in the electronic circuitsto increase. The heat may also cause a skin temperature Tof the housingin contact with the userto increase. To reduce and/or avoid an increase in these temperatures and thereby improve the user experience, the video headsetincludes the fluid-based cooling system, explained in detail below.

The problems users experience when using conventional video headsets are addressed in the video headset, including moving at least some of the heat generated in the XR device(e.g., by the electronic circuits) out of the XR devicebefore it is dissipated in a frontal regionof the harnesswhere the XR deviceis located. Specifically, heat is transferred to the thermal control mechanismthrough the closed loop conduitby the fluid. By moving heat out of the XR devicein this manner, there is a reduction in the amount of heat that is dissipated directly from the XR device. Consequently, there is a reduction in the need for passive and active heat dissipation elements typically employed in an XR device. Instead, additional heat dissipation elements may be disposed in the thermal control mechanismin the rear portionof the harness.

The harnesssecures the XR deviceon the frontal portionof the harnessand secures the thermal control mechanismin the rear portion. In this regard, the XR devicemay be adjacent to the eyes of a user and the thermal control mechanismmay be adjacent to the back of a user's head. The closed loop conduitmay be disposed in or on the harnessand includes the first fluid channelR and the second fluid channelL in which the fluidmay flow between the XR deviceand the thermal control mechanism. The fluid-based cooling systemcauses the fluidto flow in the closed loop conduitthrough the XR device, the harness, and the thermal control mechanism. As explained below with reference to, the fluid-based cooling systemincludes a fluid-moving device (e.g., a pump) (not shown) in the thermal control mechanism. In some examples, the harnessmay include thermal insulation to protect a headof a userfrom high temperature fluid.

A description of movement of the fluidthrough the closed loop conduitstarting at the XR device, for example, is as follows. The fluidis heated by heat from the electronic circuitsand the heated fluidflows from the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanismby way of the first fluid channelR. The first fluid channelR extends between the XR deviceand the thermal control mechanismon a first side (right side) Sof the harness. The thermal control mechanismreduces the temperature of the fluid, which includes transferring or dissipating heat from the fluidto the environmental air adjacent to the rear portionof the harness. The cooled fluidthen passes through the second fluid channelL, which extends between the XR deviceand the thermal control mechanismon a second side (left side) Sof harness, and back to the XR device. Thus, the fluidmay flow in a circular direction around the headof the user, as indicated by the arrows. It should be understood that the direction of flow of the fluid(seen as clockwise in) may be in the reverse direction, such that the heated fluidpasses from the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanismby way of the fluid channelL and returns from the thermal control mechanismto the XR deviceby way of the fluid channelR. The thermal control mechanismis discussed in more detail with reference to.

The video headsetmay also include a valve, shown on the harnessin this example, for controlling a rate of fluid flow through the fluid channelL. Since the valveis employed to control a rate of flow through the closed loop conduit, the valvemay alternatively be employed on the fluid channelR, as part of the thermal control mechanism, or in the XR device. The valvemay be fully opened to allow maximum rate of flow of the fluid, which may be desired in response to the junction temperature Tand/or the skin temperature Tapproaching or exceeding predetermined thresholds (e.g., 95° C. and 45° C., respectively). The valvemay be partially or fully closed to reduce flow rate of the fluidin response to the junction temperature Tand/or the skin temperature Tbeing lower than other predetermined thresholds. In this regard, the XR devicemay include thermal sensors(e.g., thermistors) for detecting the temperatures at various points within the XR device.

Signals generated by the thermal sensorsmay be used to control the valvebased on at least one of the temperature (e.g., junction temperature T) of the electronic circuitsand a surface temperature (e.g., skin temperature T) of the user. Temperatures other than the junction temperature Tand the skin temperature Tmay be detected by other thermal sensorsand used to control the valveand other operations of the fluid-based cooling system. The signals generated by the thermal sensorsmay be provided to the electronic circuits, for example, to control the valve.

As indicated, the rate of flow of the fluidmay be controlled to adjust an amount of the heat that is generated in the XR deviceto reduce the temperatures therein. In this regard, the fluid-based cooling systemmay cause more of the heat generated in the XR deviceto be transferred to the thermal control mechanismand dissipated to the environmental air (e.g., rear portionof the headof the user) from the thermal control mechanismthan is dissipated to the environmental air from the XR device(e.g., to the environment). Arrowsindicate a direction of heated air dissipated from the thermal control mechanism, which may be caused by one or more active air-moving devices (e.g., electric fans). Arrowindicates a direction of air that may dissipate heat (e.g., by convection) from the XR device. In some examples, the XR devicedoes not include an active air-moving device. In some examples, a percentage of the heat that is dissipated to the air from the thermal control mechanismmay be configurable and may be controlled by a rate of flow of the fluid(e.g., by the valve).

As an example, assuming the video headsetconsumes energy (e.g., power), which is mostly converted to heat, at a rate of 20 watts, the fluid-based cooling systemmay be configured to dissipate heat to the environmental air from the XR deviceat a rate of 5 watts and dissipate heat to the environmental air from the thermal control mechanismat a rate of 15 watts. In such example, the temperature of the thermal control mechanismmay increase, so the harnessmay include a padseparating the thermal control mechanismfrom the headof the user, to improve comfort. In some examples, the thermal control mechanismand the XR devicemay dissipate heat to the air at a same rate (e.g., 10 watts in the example of a total of 20 W power). In some examples, more of the heat generated in the XR devicemay be dissipated to the air from the XR devicethan is dissipated to the air from the thermal control mechanism. In some examples, there may be no flow of the fluidbased on the detected temperatures Tand Twithin the XR device, and all of the heat generated in the XR deviceis dissipated to the air directly from the XR device.

The video headsetmay communicate wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular) or by wire to receive applications, content, etc. to support video played on the video displayand audio played through speakers (not shown) disposed in the video headset. In this regard, the video headsetmay include RF circuits for communication. The video headsetmay be powered by one or more batteries and/or may be electrically coupled to a wired power source.

is a flowchart of an exemplary methodfor cooling a video headsetas shown in. The method includes moving a fluidthrough a closed loop conduitextending through an XR devicecomprising a video displayand electronic circuitsdisposed in a housing, a thermal control mechanismconfigured to dissipate heat from the fluid, and a harnesscomprising a frontal portionconfigured to secure the XR deviceand a rear portionconfigured to secure the thermal control mechanism.

In some examples, a method in the video headsetmay include generating heat in electronic circuitsin an XR devicecomprising a video display; securing the XR deviceon a frontal portionof a harnessand securing a thermal control mechanismon a rear portionof the harness; moving a fluidin a closed loop conduitthrough the XR device, the harness, and the thermal control mechanism; and dissipating, by the thermal control mechanism, heat from the fluidto the environmental air adjacent to the thermal control mechanism.

is an illustration of a thermal control mechanism, which may be the thermal control mechanismof the video headsetshown in. The thermal control mechanismincludes a fluid-moving device (e.g., a pump)that moves fluidthrough a fluid channel(e.g., from the XR devicein) to a heat exchangerin the thermal control mechanismto cool (extract heat from) the fluid. The heat exchangercools the fluidby transferring heat from the fluidto the environmental air around the thermal control mechanism. In this regard, the thermal control mechanismalso includes air-moving devices (e.g., fans)configured to force air across the heat exchangerto cool the heat exchangerand increase the rate of cooling of the fluid. The fluid-moving devicemay have an adjustable rate of flow and may be controlled to adjust the rate of flow based on temperatures detected in the XR deviceof. Control of the fluid moving devicemay be an alternative to or in addition to using the valveinfor controlling a rate of fluid flow in the closed loop conduit.

The thermal control mechanismis coupled to the fluid channelto receive the fluidthat has been heated in the XR device of a video headset. The thermal control mechanismis also coupled to another fluid channelthat allows the fluidthat has been cooled in the heat exchangerto flow back to the XR device. In some examples, the fluidflows in the direction from the fluid channelto the fluid channel. In some examples, the fluidmay be drawn into the thermal control mechanismby the fluid-moving deviceby reducing a fluid pressure in the fluid channel. Additionally, or alternatively, as the fluid-moving devicepushes the fluidthrough the fluid channel, which is included in the closed loop conduit, the fluid pressure of the fluidincreases, causing the fluidto flow through the fluid channeland away from the thermal control mechanismto the XR device and pushing the fluidin the fluid channelinto the heat exchanger.

In some examples, the reduction in fluid pressure in the fluid channelcreates a situation in which the heated fluidmay change phase from a liquid to a gas or vapor (e.g., by evaporation). Heating of the fluidin an XR device may also cause the phase change from liquid to gas. As the fluidpasses through the heat exchanger, in which the fluidis cooled, and into the fluid-moving device, in which the fluid pressure is increased, the fluidmay change phase back (e.g., by condensation) from a gas to a liquid. Thus, the thermal control mechanismmay be employed in a fluid-based cooling system, such as the fluid-based cooling systemin, also referred to as a two-phase cooling system.

The heat exchangerincludes at least one fin, but in this example includes two sets of finsA andB in contact with the fluid, where the set of finsA in this example is positioned before the fluid-moving devicein the direction of flow through the thermal control mechanismand the set of finsB is positioned after the fluid-moving devicein the direction of flow. The finsA andB may be formed of a thermally conductive material, such as a metal, that is heated by being in contact with the fluidwithin the fluid channelsandand the heat exchanger. The finsA andB also extend outside the fluid channelsandin contact with the environmental air adjacent to the head of the user, where the air-moving devicesforce air across the finsA andB to increase a rate at which they are cooled. The heat exchangerin the thermal control mechanismis included in the closed loop conduitin.

is an illustration of an XR devicethat may be the XR devicein. The XR deviceincludes electronic circuitson a PCBand a video display. The electronic circuitsare thermally coupled to a heat exchangerthrough which fluidenters from a fluid channelat a lower temperature. The heat exchangerin this example may be referred to as a cold plate or a heat sink having one wall(e.g., a planar wall) that is thermally coupled to the electronic circuits. A thermal interface material (TIM)may be provided between the electronic circuitsand the wallto improve the thermal conductivity of the heat generated in the electronic circuitsto a first side Wof the wall. The heat exchanger, including the wall, may be formed of a thermally conductive material such that heat entering the first side Wof the wallis conducted to a second side Wof the wall. The second side Wof the wallis inside a chamberin the heat exchanger. Fluid, which has been cooled in a thermal control mechanism, such as the thermal control mechanismin, flows from the fluid channelinto the chamberof the heat exchangerand comes into contact with the second side Wof the wallwhere the fluidis heated. Arrowsindicate a direction of flow of the fluidand arrowsindicate a direction of flow of heat through the walland into the fluid. The fluidthat has been heated exits the chamberthrough a fluid channelto transfer heat away from the XR deviceto be dissipated in the thermal control mechanism. The heat exchangerincludes a second wallforming a second side of the chamber. The heat conducted to the wallmay be further conducted to the second walland then transferred to the fluid. The heat exchangerand in particular the chamberare included in the closed loop conduitin.

Referring back to, including the thermal control mechanism,in a video headset, such as the video headsetin, may reduce the amount of heat that is dissipated to the environmental air from the XR device. As discussed above, the percentage of heat generated in the XR devicethat is actually dissipated to the environmental air from the thermal control mechanism,may be configurable. In some examples, the thermal control mechanismmay dissipate most of the heat near the rear portionof the harness, which is near the back of the headof the user. Therefore, the cooling capacity of the XR devicemay be reduced. In this regard, the size, number, and/or capacity of heat-dissipating elements (e.g., hardware) such as heat sinks, heat pipes, and air-moving devices employed in the XR devicemay be reduced to reduce product costs. In some examples, the XR devicedoes not include an active air-moving device.

A reduction in the number, size, etc., of air-moving devices in the XR devicemay also reduce the noise and vibration compared to the larger air-moving devices employed in goggle assemblies of conventional video headsets that are entirely responsible for thermal management of a video headset. Such reductions in heat-dissipating elements may also reduce a weight of the XR devicein the frontal portionof the harness, reducing the weight on the front of the headof the userwhile including the thermal control mechanismincreases the weight in the rear portionon the back of the headof the user. Thus, the exemplary video headsetinis more balanced (front to back) on the headof the user, which improves comfort and reduces fatigue of the user.

are a side view and a top view, respectively, showing a second example of an exemplary video headsetincluding an XR deviceand a thermal control mechanismcoupled to each other by a harnessincluding a first fluid channelR on a first side Sof the harness, a second fluid channelL on a second side Sof the harness, and a third fluid channelthat extends between the XR deviceand the thermal control mechanismand passes between the first side Sand the second side S(over the topof the headof the user). In other aspects, the video headsetcorresponds to the features of the video headsetin. The third fluid channelmay be incorporated into a closed loop conduit like the closed loop conduit. The XR deviceincludes electronic circuitsthat generate heat that can raise the temperature of the electronic circuitsand the surface temperature of a housingof the XR devicethat comes into contact with the headof the user.

Including a third fluid channelmay increase a total rate of flow of the fluid through the XR devicefor improved cooling. In some examples, the third fluid channeltransfers fluidthat is heated in the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanism, and the first and second fluid channelsR andL transfer fluidcooled in the thermal control mechanismback to the XR device. In some examples, the first and second fluid channelsR andL transfer fluidthat is heated in the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanism, and the third fluid channeltransfers fluidcooled in the thermal control mechanismback to the XR device.

In some examples not shown, the first and second fluid channelsR andL may be eliminated from the first and second sides Sand Sof the harness, and the third fluid channelmay instead be two fluid channels forming a closed loop conduit, where one fluid channel transfers heated fluidfrom the XR deviceto the thermal control mechanismand the other transfers cooled fluidfrom the thermal control mechanismto the XR device. Other fluid channel configurations may be employed to form a closed loop conduit for a fluid-based cooling system of a video headset, as disclosed herein.

Electronic devices, including electronic circuits according to any aspects disclosed herein, may be provided in or integrated into any processor-based device, including a video headset as described above. Other examples, without limitation, include a set-top box, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a fixed location data unit, a mobile location data unit, a global positioning system (GPS) device, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a smartphone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a tablet, a phablet, a server, a computer, a portable computer, a mobile computing device, laptop computer, a wearable computing device (e.g., a smartwatch, a health or fitness tracker, eyewear, etc.), a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a monitor, a computer monitor, a television, a tuner, a radio, a satellite radio, a music player, a digital music player, a portable music player, a digital video player, a video player, a digital video disc (DVD) player, a portable digital video player, an automobile, a vehicle component, an avionics system, a drone, and a multicopter.

In this regard,illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communications devicethat includes radio frequency (RF) components formed from one or more ICs, wherein the communications devicemay be included in the video headsetsandin, which include a fluid-based cooling systemconfigured to cause a fluidto flow through an XR device, a thermal control mechanism, and a harnessin a closed loop. The wireless communications devicemay be included in any of the above-referenced video headsets for the purpose of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or cellular communication, for example. As shown in, the wireless communications deviceincludes a transceiverand a data processor. The data processormay include a memory to store data and program codes. The transceiverincludes a transmitterand a receiver, which support bi-directional communications. In general, the wireless communications devicemay include any number of transmittersand/or receiversfor any number of communication systems and frequency bands. All or a portion of the transceivermay be implemented on one or more analog ICs, RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc.

The transmitteror the receivermay be implemented with a super-heterodyne or direct-conversion architecture. In the super-heterodyne architecture, a signal is frequency-converted between RF and baseband in multiple stages, e.g., from RF to an intermediate frequency (IF) in one stage and then from IF to baseband in another stage. In the direct-conversion architecture, a signal is frequency-converted between RF and baseband in one stage. The super-heterodyne and direct-conversion architectures may use different circuit blocks and/or have different requirements. In the wireless communications devicein, the transmitterand the receiverare implemented with the direct-conversion architecture.

In the transmit path, the data processorprocesses data to be transmitted and provides I and Q analog output signals to the transmitter. In the exemplary wireless communications device, the data processorincludes digital-to-analog converters (DACs)(),() for converting digital signals generated by the data processorinto I and Q analog output signals, e.g., I and Q output currents, for further processing.

Within the transmitter, lowpass filters(),() filter the I and Q analog output signals, respectively, to remove undesired signals caused by the prior digital-to-analog conversion. Amplifiers (AMPs)(),() amplify the signals from the lowpass filters(),(), respectively, and provide I and Q baseband signals. An upconverterupconverts the I and Q baseband signals with I and Q transmit (TX) local oscillator (LO) signals from a TX LO signal generatorthrough mixers(),() to provide an upconverted signal. A filterfilters the upconverted signalto remove undesired signals caused by the frequency upconversion and noise in a receive frequency band. A power amplifier (PA)amplifies the upconverted signalfrom the filterto obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal. The transmit RF signal is routed through a duplexer or switchand transmitted via an antenna.

In the receive path, the antennareceives signals transmitted by base stations and provides a received RF signal, which is routed through the duplexer or switchand provided to a low noise amplifier (LNA). The duplexer or switchis designed to operate with a specific receive (RX)-to-TX duplexer frequency separation, such that RX signals are isolated from TX signals. The received RF signal is amplified by the LNAand filtered by a filterto obtain a desired RF input signal. Downconversion mixers(),() mix the output of the filterwith I and Q RX LO signals (i.e., LO_I and LO_Q) from an RX LO signal generatorto generate I and Q baseband signals. The I and Q baseband signals are amplified by AMPs(),() and further filtered by lowpass filters(),() to obtain I and Q analog input signals, which are provided to the data processor. In this example, the data processorincludes analog-to-digital converters (ADCs)(),() for converting the analog input signals into digital signals to be further processed by the data processor.

In the wireless communications deviceof, the TX LO signal generatorgenerates the I and Q TX LO signals used for frequency upconversion, while the RX LO signal generatorgenerates the I and Q RX LO signals used for frequency downconversion. Each LO signal is a periodic signal with a particular fundamental frequency. A TX phase-locked loop (PLL) circuitreceives timing information from the data processorand generates a control signal used to adjust the frequency and/or phase of the TX LO signals from the TX LO signal generator. Similarly, an RX PLL circuitreceives timing information from the data processorand generates a control signal used to adjust the frequency and/or phase of the RX LO signals from the RX LO signal generator.

illustrates a block diagram of an example of a processor-based systemthat may be included in the video headsetsandin, which include a fluid-based cooling systemconfigured to cause a fluidto flow through an XR device, a thermal control mechanism, and a harnessin a closed loop. In this example, the processor-based systemincludes a processorthat includes an IC, including one or more central processor units (CPUs), which may also be referred to as CPU or processor cores, each including one or more processors. The CPU(s)may have cache memorycoupled to the processor(s)for rapid access to temporarily stored data. The CPU(s)is coupled to a system busand can intercouple master and slave devices included in the processor-based system. As is well known, the CPU(s)communicates with these other devices by exchanging address, control, and data information over the system bus. For example, the CPU(s)can communicate bus transaction requests to a memory controlleras an example of a slave device. Although not illustrated in, multiple system busescould be provided wherein each system busconstitutes a different fabric.

Other master and slave devices can be connected to the system bus. As illustrated in, these devices can include a memory systemthat includes the memory controllerand one or more memory arrays, one or more input devices, one or more output devices, one or more network interface devices, and one or more display controllers, as examples. The input device(s)can include any type of input device, including, but not limited to, input keys, switches, voice processors, etc. The output device(s)can include any type of output device, including, but not limited to, audio, video, other visual indicators, etc. The network interface device(s)can be any device configured to allow an exchange of data to and from a network. The networkcan be any type of network, including, but not limited to, a wired or wireless network, a private or public network, a local area network (LAN), a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), a BLUETOOTH™ network, and the Internet. The network interface device(s)can be configured to support any type of communications protocol desired.

The CPU(s)may also be configured to access the display controller(s)over the system busto control information sent to one or more displays. The display controller(s)sends information to the display(s)to be displayed via one or more video processors, which process the information to be displayed into a format suitable for the display(s). The display(s)can include any type of display, including, but not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display, or a light-emitting diode (LED) display, etc.

Those of skill in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithms described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, instructions stored in memory or in another computer-readable medium wherein any such instructions are executed by a processor or other processing device, or combinations of both. As examples, the devices and components described herein may be employed in any circuit, hardware component, integrated circuit (IC), or IC chip. Memory disclosed herein may be any type and size of memory and may be configured to store any desired information. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. How such functionality is implemented depends upon the particular application, design choices, and/or design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.